President John Dramani Mahama has directed an expansion of the ongoing recruitment into Ghana’s security services, increasing the target number of recruits from 20,000 to 40,000 over a four-year period.
The directive followed a high-level briefing and meeting held with Heads of Security Agencies, the Minister for the Interior, and the Acting Minister for Defence at the Presidency on Monday, March 16, 2026.
According to a statement signed by the Minister for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the president, after being briefed on the current recruitment process, instructed that the number of men and women to be recruited into the various security agencies be doubled from twenty thousand (20,000) to forty thousand (40,000) over the four-year timeframe.
President Mahama further directed the Heads of the Security Agencies to ensure full transparency, fairness, and integrity throughout the recruitment exercise to build public confidence and eliminate any perceptions of bias or irregularities.
The meeting was attended by key figures including the Chief of Staff, Secretary to the President, Senior Presidential Advisor on Governmental Affairs, National Security Coordinator, Inspector General of Police, Director General of Prisons Service, Director General of Ghana National Fire Service, Comptroller-General of the Ghana Immigration Service, and Director General of the Narcotics Control Commission.
The announcement comes amid the ongoing 2026 security services recruitment drive, which has attracted massive interest from the public.
According to recent data shared by the Minister for the Interior, Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, over 500,000 individuals applied for a limited slot of 5,000 in the currently ongoing recruitment for the internal security agencies.
His disclosure has led to various criticisms on the ongoing process highlighting concerns of youth unemployment.
The President’s directive is expected to provide more opportunities for qualified young Ghanaians seeking careers in the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana Prisons Service, Ghana National Fire Service, and other related agencies.
Details on the phased implementation of the expanded recruitment, including timelines, quotas per agency, and application processes for subsequent phases, are expected to be announced by the relevant ministries and agencies.
